ABOUT

About Hacking Health @ HIC

Following the success of the last two Hacking Health event’s, HISA is again running Hacking Health @ HIC, this time back in Brisbane 6-9 August, as part of the HIC 2017. We have wondered at the excitement and commitment that sponsors, mentors, individuals and teams bring to a three-day event and the outcomes Hacking Health achieves. This year we want to take our approach to another level.

HISA working with its partners seeks to provide a platform for entrepreneurs, innovative health professionals, software developers, designers, data analysts, researchers and others seeking to make a difference and contributing to health system reform and change.

This year we seek to target projects and teams in areas of proving and describing value in the projects they deliver.

We want to focus on innovation, digital connectivity in healthcare, and highlight the value that innovative projects bring to a connected health system, the value it brings to health professionals working in their day to day activities, and to patients, families, carers and support groups in managing individual and community health and well-being, and ultimately to consumers (you and me).

Since 2015, HISA has collaborated with the internationally recognised Hacking Health http://hackinghealth.ca/ organisation to deliver Hacking Health @ HIC to highlight digital health innovation in healthcare with a large conference audience and to build innovation collaboration between industry, government and health service providers. Connect with health innovations across the globe. Hacking Health runs in over 52 cities across the world.

What is SPARKBOARD?

The Sparkboard is an online platform where people register their interest, project ideas are posted, and teams form around those projects leading up to the event. It allows project teams to advertise for certain skills. Once a project idea and team is formed you are encouraged to formally register for the event.

Still want more information about the types of projects Hacking Health covers? Watch this video to find out more about what happens at Hacking Health and the below video from a Hacking Health co-founder Luc Sirois.

FAQs

What is a hackathon?

A hackathon is a collaborative computer programming event attended by developers and designers who want to have fun and learn new skills by rapidly building prototypes of their ideas. A hackathon often begins with project pitches, where individuals make short presentations to describe the idea they would like to work on. Based on these presentations, attendees can choose to join a project which interests them. At the end of the day, everyone gathers to see each team present what they accomplished.

How is Hacking Health different from a typical hackathon?

Hacking Health is designed to mix hackers with healthcare professionals who may not know how to design or program, but have a deep understanding of problems that need to be solved, as well as strong connections to target users of applications that will be developed. The mixing of healthcare and technical professionals adds unique value and challenge to this event. Medical professionals will need to learn how to adapt their ideas for a technical audience; Hackers will need to make extra effort to understand unfamiliar problems and help non-technical domain experts refine their ideas.

What are some examples of other projects that have been part of Hacking Health in other countries?

Hacking Health is international and has conducted events in cities across the world. This is the first time Hacking Health is in Australia. International success stories and projects at other events can be seen at www.hackinghealth.ca

How does this differ from other Hacking events?

HISA is Australia’s peak body for all things digital health, e-health & health informatics with a 23 year history – work with and collaborate with people with unrivalled credibility and experience in health-IT

National exposure through HISA and our partner organisations

International exposure through HISA and Hacking Health’s international networks

HISA and the sponsors of Hacking Health make absolutely no claim on your IP

Pitch your ideas and showcase your demos to Australia’s most sophisticated and influential health-IT leaders on the HIC keynote stage

More than a hack… many problem owners are from healthcare organisations who have given in-principle support to continue to work on the output from Hacking Health

Work with real problems and real data in a multidisciplinary team

Are there any prizes?

Prizes will be awarded to winners. Prizes are still be finalised and will include national exposure through HISA’s media network.

Who can attend?

Hackers withskills — programmers, designers, and the like – are asked to come and join a projects, as well as work with health professionals to explore their ideas.

Healthcare Professionals with ideas that require technical assistance — doctors, surgeons, nurses, community health providers, administrators etc. — are asked to come and present their ideas. Our goal will be to use the skills and energy of other attendees to move each idea forward.

Is there a cost?

Registration costs between $10- $50 as a nominal fee to cover catering costs and show your commitment to the event. Registration will be open soon.

What is the goal?

In the short term, our goal is to rapidly prototype practical ideas that could be useful in health and community care. Our broader vision is to foster the kind of collaborative, cross-disciplinary relationships that lead to more significant innovation down the road. Not all ideas can be prototyped in a day, and many ideas lay dormant simply because domain experts do not know who to talk to about building their ideas. We believe that healthcare will improve as we bring technical expertise closer to front-line problems.

Who can submit a project?

Anyone who brings a healthcare-related idea will have the opportunity to pitch it to the group, and try to assemble the right team to move it forward.

How do I submit a project/problem?

Project / problem ideas can be submitted leading up to the event on the SparkBoard http://hhbrisbane.sparkboard.com/projects . The SparkBoard is an online platform where people register their interest, project ideas are posted, and teams form around those projects leading up to the event. It allows project teams to advertise for certain skills. Once a project idea and team is formed you are encouraged to formally register for the event. If you have any questions you can contact the organisers at [email protected].

Do projects have to be submitted beforehand?

Yes we need to know one week prior to the event what projects will be pitched at the event. The SparkBoard provides an online space where you can pitch your idea to other attendees, and hackers can browse projects to see what interests them.

Multi-disciplinary teams are formed for each project. Hacking Health provides a forum to gather people into teams to attack problems in a short energetic timeframe. Register your interest on the SparkBoard and post your skills. Project teams will be advertising for skills and experience or you can register your interest in projects.

What about intellectual property — who will own my idea?

As a facilitator, HISA and Hacking Health do not make any claims to IP that emerges from the event. It up to each team to decide ownership of any work that is done during the hackathon. Teams generally share IP based on individual contributions and commitment, but project leads should establish that with their team in advance.

A hackathon is an ideal place to work on ideas which you are comfortable sharing with others, but this does not mean that you must give up ownership of your idea or project. Some hackathon projects lead to the founding of a real company down the road, while others are released for free to the community. It is up to each project lead to decide on a structure, and communicate this to collaborators.

The risks of exposing an idea are often outweighed by the benefits of the feedback and collaboration you will receive if people get excited about your vision. If you have concerns about the IP in your project, we recommend consulting a solicitor.

PREVIOUS PROJECTS INCLUDE

Language Translation App for Refugees using health and social services